Chocolate Whiskey Cake

If you know someone that loves whiskey, or you love it yourself, then this chocolate whiskey cake is your dessert! It’s rich with chocolate and spiked with booze all in one bite.

My husband’s birthday recently passed and he always requests this chocolate whiskey cake for dessert. It’s his absolute favorite and I make it every single year. What’s so great about it are the layers: the ganache, cake, and frosting. All three have their own flavors yet bring a unison richness to the cake that makes it so amazing.

I have tried different types of whiskey for this chocolate whiskey cake (Jack Daniels, Finlaggen, Bulleit, etc.) and they all work great. As long as its whiskey, it works. If you don’t have whiskey, rum works well too. Whatever type of alcohol you or your loved one likes, use it. I also use espresso for the coffee. If I don’t have any made, I use whatever I have on hand, whether brewed or instant.

Then there’s the whipped cream frosting on top of this cake and it is out of this world! I’m seriously obsessed with it. If I could, I would probably eat it for dinner. The texture is so smooth and it melts you mouth. And it’s easy to make either in advance or the day of.

This Chocolate whiskey cake is also so delicious in the form of cupcakes. The only difference is dipping the top of the cupcake in the ganache first before frosting it. And they turn into these beautifully decorated cupcakes with little to no effort.

A quick tip for the buttermilk: If you don’t have any on hand or don’t want to buy it, combine 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes before using.

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

thedishnextdoor

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Ingredients

  

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup super-strong coffee
• ½ cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey or preferred whiskey
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Chocolate Ganache

• 8 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1 Tbl. whiskey

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 stick butter, softened
• ½ cup of the chocolate ganache recipe above
• 1 Tbl. heavy cream
• 1-2 Tbl. whiskey based on preference
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1 Tbl. cocoa powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

For the Cake:

• For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350℉ and lightly coat two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with oil.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, whiskey, buttermilk and oil until it becomes a smooth consistency. Slowly add in the flour mixture and whisk together until well combined.
• Pour the batter in even layers into the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pans.
• If there is leftover cake batter, repeat the process.

For the Ganache

• Place the dark chocolate in a medium heatproof glass bowl and set aside.
• In a saucepan or small pot over medium-low heat, bring the heavy cream to a low simmer. Be careful not to burn!
• Pour the cream over the dark chocolate and cover the bowl for 2 minutes with foil. When the time ends, stir the mixture together until the chocolate has completely melted and mixture until it becomes a smooth consistency. Stir in the vanilla and whiskey until well incorporated.
• Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to completely cool and thickened slightly. It should be the same consistency as pudding. Spread an even layer in between the cake layers.

For the Frosting

• In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, ganache, heavy cream, whiskey, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Mix carefully until well combined and continue to whisk on medium speed until it becomes a fluffy frosting, about 5-7 minutes. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.

Notes

To make cupcakes: Using a muffin pan and liners, fill each individual portion 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Before frosting, dip the top layer of the cupcake into the ganache and shake off any excess. 

Keyword cake, chocolate, dessert, whiskey